Los Angeles rental housing owners helped turn back a proposed streetlight assessment that would have tripled fees citywide, with nearly four in five weighted ballots cast against the measure in results certified last week by the city.

City Clerk Patrice Y. Lattimore certified the outcome June 24, finding that the weighted majority of “no” ballots defeated the proposed Streetlight Maintenance Assessment District No. 5500 under the Proposition 218 process. Of 166,789 ballots submitted, 138,995 — representing 79.29% of the weighted total — opposed the assessment. Only 24,360 ballots, or 18.74%, voted yes. View the official ballot results.

The proposal would have tripled the existing streetlight fee for property owners across the city, with multifamily and larger parcels facing the highest charges. The city’s streetlight system covers roughly 223,000 lights. Sutton also pointed to ongoing copper theft from the system, questioning whether a fee increase would address the underlying maintenance problems.

The California Apartment Association organized outreach across property owner groups citywide ahead of the June 2 ballot deadline, urging members to return their ballots. Under Proposition 218, only returned ballots are counted and each is weighted by the proposed assessment amount — a structure that makes participation especially consequential. The city did not consult CAA during development of the proposal.

“The city conducted no outreach to apartment owners prior to putting this before a vote. The city has spent years increasing regulations and costs, making it harder to provide housing. It is not surprising property owners rejected a new fee when they feel continually unsupported by the city,” said Fred Sutton, senior vice president of local public affairs for the California Apartment Association.

For background on CAA’s mobilization effort, read the April 2026 coverage.